If it is indisputable that slate roofing embellishes a house like no other option can. But, it requires a large budget for the purchase of the materials used and for its installation. Roofers in Gig Harbor that know the specificities of natural and artificial slates is fantastic because it allows their clients to choose the model most adapted to their project.
Artificial or natural slate?
When it comes to slate roofing, there are two types of slate: natural and synthetic. The slate is made by cutting and polishing of shale rock. The shale is generated as a result of pressure on the clay when mountains form.
Each rock quarry produces slates with unique characteristics, in terms of color or properties. Synthetic slate is composed of organic fibers, cement, water, and mineral additives. It is treated with the same characteristics (insulation and strength) as natural slate, but it is lighter and offers a greater choice of colors.
Irrespective of its nature, slate exists in many sizes and can be square or rectangular. It has two sides of distinct use as well. It is placed facing upwards in order to better evacuate rainwater.
Slate roofing installation and special maintenance
To ensure your roofing project goes without a hitch, Roofers in Gig Harbor create a wooden frame that will accommodate the slates. These are placed and then fixed with hooks so they overlap, forming a staircase shape. This particular arrangement ensures proper holding of the slate as well as the tightness of the assembly, preventing run-off water from seeping under the roof.
Vents are also regularly spaced. As for the top of the roof, the slate is allowed to be raised a few centimeters across every line of material. The maintenance of a roof made of slate consists, first of all, of changing the slate.
Slate, which appears to be damaged or split, must be replaced as soon as possible. At this time, it is best to get the roofer to see if any are dislodged. If slate roofing, however solid it is, is broken, it is often because someone walked on it incorrectly during repairs or maintenance.
